Reluctant
by RikaDika
Summary: What else can a Pokemon ask for? A loving family, a roof over their heads and food to fill their bellies. A Shiny Eevee is living the gracious life until her brother takes everything away from her. Everything she cares about slips from her grasp and she doesn't know what to do anymore. Will she be able to protect those she love in the end? Or lose them all over again?
1. Betrayal and a New Beginning

**Don't criticize too harshly please! Enjoy!**

**---**

Sun light shone through my eyelids, disturbing my slumber. I blinked sleep away from my eyes, getting up to stretch. _Can't a girl get some sleep around here?_

"Can you go get some berries, Yuki? Jotai is too lazy to get them himself!" Mom (an Espeon) looked at me with her dark eyes then glared at Jotai (Tai for short,) a Jolteon who was sunning himself on a rock next to his nest.

"Sure Mom." I fixed my nest before trodding up the path leading to the berry bush.

"Suckup," Tai sneered, but I ignored him. When I walked down the path, I heard the Starly singing and the rustling Shinx playing around in the undergrowth. I breath in the fresh forest air. Living in Kanto region wasn't as bad as Tai said it would. He was nicer before he evolved from an Eevee. When he was forced to evolve by a naive trainer dressed in black, it changed his life forever. He refused play with me anymore and he once called me a pest. He has been hanging around with some bad Pokemon and when he caught me spying, he growled at me, daring me to tell mother.

When I walked into the berry bush, too absorbed in my thoughts to notice the change in my surroundings. I struggled slightly and some berries fell. When I got out my fur was a mess, leaves tangled with my soft, white , I cleaned my fur and collected the berries.

When I arrived to the clearing, Tai wasn't on his rock anymore. I placed the berries in a pile by the pond and walked over to my mother, who was cleaning my father's black fur. His yellow, ring-shaped markings glowed ever so slightly when he opened his eyes. Lifting his head he said, "Are you wondering where Tai is?"

I nodded, "He said he was going for a walk." Father shrugged his lithe shoulders.

"Don't move! I'm still cleaning!" Mother growled. Father let out a long sighed and laid his head down again.

That was when everything happened faster than a Rapidash's _Quick Attack_. A formidable bolt of lightning flowed through my body as I let out a miserable cry. I fell to the ground, my body unable to even twitch an ear.

"Yuki!" Mom wailed, her gray fur bristled, "Who did that?!" She questioned, a deep growl formed in her throat. Dad was up immediately and he used _Wish_ to cure my paralysis.

"Oh, dear dear Mother, would you growl at your own kit?" A familiar voice inquired. I gasped at the sight of Tai walking out of the shadows. "What a shame that I didn't kill you Yuki. I was momentarily distracted by a little friend, but that is all behind us now isn't it?" He said in a artificial, gentle tone. I was too shocked to move, he wanted to kill _his own sister_!...His eyes weren't the same gentle brown ones I missed looking into. They were a dark, evil gold now.

"Jotai...how could you do this?!" Mom stammered, tears flooding from her eyes.

Tai growled. Glaring at her, eyes brimming with scorn, he said, "You gave me a Japanese name when we don't even live in Japan! You averted your eyes when the Rockets forced me to evolve! Who would call you 'Mother' after that!"

_Tai thought of Mom like she was a helpless, selfish, even lazy!_ "Shut up! Is that how you speak to an elder Tai?!" I growled, regretting the choice immediately. He whirled his head at me, sparking dangerously with rage.

"What the hell did you just say?! 'Shut up'? Well, I'll be glad to shut you up wench!" He sparked a giant bolt at me, but luckily Dad jumped in the way, creating a psychic barrier between himself, the bolt, and me. Unfortunately, Dad wasn't strong enough to keep it up and the barrier shattered, the bolt striking him in the point-blank. Dad flew to a tree, he cried in agony when he made impact. His cry was cut short when another bolt struck him.

"NIGHT!" Mom wailed and ran over to him, sobbing with grief. I struggled to get up on my trembling legs, but they won't move.

"What a shame. He never protected me like that. Shows how weak he thinks you are, and now he can't shield you anymore!" Tai said in that creepy gentlemanly tone again. "Now it's your turn to join him!" He charged another bolt, it hit both Mom and me. I cried out and I fell back to the ground. I heard Mom cry even louder than me, the cry was mixed with the anguish of losing her mate and the shame of raising a son like Tai.

"Discharge. Nice technique, huh?" He murmured in my ear. I felt his paw connect with my stomach, sending me flying to a tree like Dad. I made a dull thud as I hit the ground. He walked away from my beat up body, possibly thinking I was dead, he walked over to Mom, who whimpered in pain and fear. He whisper, "This is for not helping me." I heard more electricity charge and Mom crying out, until she couldn't anymore. I felt tears roll from my eyes, as Tai walks away from us. Darkness crept to my eyes, wanting to take me away, wishing the darkness would to take me to Mom and Dad.

_Not just yet my love. Not yet..._ I heard my mother's voice whisper in my head. My eyes closing, my last sight was Tai's yellowed fur as he walked back from whence he came from.

--

When my eyes reopened, I wasn't in the clearing anymore. It was night and I was in a cave. I struggled to sit up but was stopped by pain. I couldn't help but yelp aloud.

"Now deary, you don't want to reopen your wounds, now do we?" A sweet voice resonated. I looked for the source of the voice. "Oops, my apologies." A ghost with a beaded necklace and flowing hair with no legs or arms to speak of appeared in front of me. I yelped in surprise and tried in vain to run away but I wasn't going anywhere. "Calm down deary. There's nothing to be afraid of!" She hovered away from me to her table, so she won't scare me farther. As I looked closely at her...abode, it reminds me of the place where I stand now. A cloth was draped over the entrance, a nest, a table with a bowl of berries on top, and a little niche in the back probably for storage.

I stared back at the strange being, when it struck me that it was a Misdreavus. She gazed back at me, nibbling on a ripe berry. She opened her mouth again and said, "Oops, my apologies again, my name is Misdreavus, Miss for short. How 'bout you darling?" I was struck speechless her soothing, buttery voice. Stammering, I responded, "Y-Yuki... But I don't l-like that n-name..." Her expression morphed from cheery to thoughtful, "I have some evolution stones, if you wish to evolve." I gasped at the absurd statement.

"Oh my Mew, no! Mo-" I croaked with emotion, unable to finish, "D-did you s-see my Mother a-and o-or Father?" I didn't even bother to steady my voice.  
Miss' expression morphed yet again, "If you are talking 'bout the Espeon and Umbreon with you, then I'm sorry deary, they just didn't make it." I gasped, tears flowed from my eyes, and I wailed.

"Deary, please calm down! It's okay, calm down!"

I wailed louder, "IT'S NOT OKAY!! I LOST MY MOM AND DAD, MY BROTHER HATES ME AND I HAVE NO ONE IN THIS WORLD- ack!" An object was suddenly stuffed in my mouth. I panicked and bit it, but it wouldn't budge.

"Master Shade! Please don't hurt her!" Miss cried as I struggled against his paw, careful not to bite the paw again, though.

"Don't worry Miss, let her calm down," The voice insisted while I kept struggling until I grew tired. All I did now was let silent tears fall. He gently removed his paw and walked passed me. I gasped. He looked very much like my father except for the typical yellow rings, he had odd, attractive green rings. Self consciously, I wiped my tears away and licked my white fur clean.

"Feeling better?" He asked in a real gentlemanly tone. I nodded, giggling, hiding my face knowing that when I blush, I get REALLY red.

"That's better deary,and thank you Master Shade," Miss bobbed slightly, "Why don't you get something to eat?" I nodded and started to walked over to the bowl, slowly not to reopen my wounds. When I got up, Shade walked over to the nest I was resting on and curled up into a ball. I flushed, I was lying in his nest. I flinched as I put my left fore paw down.

"Oh, be careful with that paw deary, it was broken when Master Shade found you." I glanced at Shade, who looked like he was sleeping but his ears were perked.

_Creepy, but kind of cute._ I nodded again and grabbed a berry with my teeth and ate it in a gulp.

"You must have been hungry, I made a nest for you near the back, I know an Eevee doesn't like to be waken by the sun," Miss informed. I nodded and smiled, _apparently Shade can be thoughtful_. I walked carefully over to the nest, curling up with my tail wrapped around me protectively. I groomed quickly, wondering if I looked like a mess and lifted my head, "Um...Miss...I have some questions."

She turned her figure, "Yes deary?" I glanced over at Shade, who's ears were still perked. _Eavesdropper._

"Can we talk privately...?" I asked. Miss smiled.

_"Is this better?"_ She asked telepathically.

_"Much...how can I respond to you when I'm not physic?" _Miss giggled at my naive-ness.

_"Just a special benefit that came along with the move. You need something?"_

_"Yeah...err...not that I'm curious or anything but how old is Shade?"_

_"I saw you blush when you saw him, don't hide it from me deary. I wasn't born yesterday. Anyways, he is...probably a year old." _

I gasped at the absurdness.

_"A YEAR OLD?! He looks like he's much older. Most boys my age act way~ more immature! He's the same age as me! Don't say anything !" _I glanced at Shade and I heard his steady breathing, his ears were down. I sighed with relief, _he didn't hear my gasp_. Miss giggled.

_"I won't tell a word. I think if you get close enough, he might start thinking of you in that way. Though when you get to know him, you might hate him for who he is. He is very bull-headed and rebellious, but he is also passionate, witty, and will treat you right." _

I gaped at Miss. She gave me a puzzled look, _"Did I do something wrong?"_

I shook my head, _"No, nothing at all. What about his family? Does he have any siblings or parents?" _Miss' smiled turned to a frown.

_"His parents died saving him from some Pokemon that wanted to whisk him away. He didn't give me much detail besides: He was only 5 months old and he learned a lot of moved from his Father, who was also an Umbreon. He learned all the basic moves of an Eevee and was going to learn Umbreon moves until they were killed. He won't talk 'bout it much but he might say some parts 'bout it. You can never predict him." _Miss smiled, _"He evolved to an Umberon at 11 months, when he started to trust me. I found him, like how he found you. In a clearing laden with blood and corpses. You were lucky, there was no blood in your clearing, but your parents...had the same fate as his." _Tears blurred my visions but I willed them back in.

_"He felt sorry for you and didn't want to leave you there to die, so he brought you back to my place." _I nodded.

_"Um...I have some more question before I go to sleep." _Miss stared at me to continue. _"Um...has Shade ever had a mate?" _This question must have surprised her, but she composed herself.

_"Yes, but it didn't end well...he thought he really liked her but apparently, she was just using him. He broke up with the Vaporeon, who was named Marine, but she didn't seem shaken up by the break up. Though it hurt him dearly. He mourned over his loss and he never really got close to anyone after that, afraid of the same out come." _Miss sighed. _"If you mention the break up, he'll snap. Trust me." _I nodded and cracked a smile. She sighed, _"Any other questions deary?"_

_"Uh...what was his friend like? The one that his mate tried to get closer to?" _I tilted my head.

"Well, he was a Jolteon named--" Miss said out of telepathy, which doesn't seem to bother Shade, for he didn't perk his ears.

"Don't tell me...Jotai or Tai?" I flinched at his name. I knew that he had a mate, but he didn't talk about her much.

"Yes, that's him. Do you know him?"

"Y-yes...he's m-my brother that killed Mom and D-Dad..." Tears again blurred my vision and this time I let them fall.

"Oh deary, I'm so sorry! I won't mention him again, I promise." Miss hovered beside me, trying to comfort me.

"I'm okay, sorry. Anyways, why was he friends with..._him_?" I wiped my tears away and groomed my fur to keep from looking at Miss.

"Well, before Tai was forced to evolve, he and Master Shade were very close. But they didn't keep contact after that." Miss sighed, "He might get mad at me if I give you details so I'll wait until he's ready to tell you."

I nodded, "Why do you call Shade 'Master Shade'?" My questions were simple but her answers were...a bit complicated...

"I'll tell you tomorrow, it's getting late." I agreed with a yawn. "You got a big day ahead of you!" _Oh, you can't imagine._

"Okay, good night Miss..." I put my head down and my white tail flipped over my nose. I closed my eyes, hearing Miss whisper, "Night deary." As I fall into a dreamless sleep

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**Comment if you wish but I would really appreciate it! **

**~Rika**


	2. Alliance

**Sorry for the late delay, enjoy!**

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I woke to a prodding at my side. Whimpering, I pushed the paw away, the haze of sleep can't leave just yet. "5 more minutes Mom," I begged as I curled tighter into a ball, summoning the mist again.

"Deary, it's time to wake up." A familiar, sweet, buttery voice insisted. It was nothing like my beloved Mother's voice. I opened my eyes to see Miss staring at me. She smiled an earnest smile and spoke once more, "Up and at 'em deary!" Suddenly, the memory of the last few days flooded me. My brother, as much as mom and dad loved him, betrayed us and murdered our parents. Tears started to run anew, but as quickly as it came, they stopped. You have to keep going Yuki, for Mom and Dad. I needed to be a New, exuberant and fierce Yuki.

"Are you okay deary?" Miss asked, disrupting my melancholy mood. She cares so much, for a stranger. I must keep going for her too. For a brief moment, I believe I loved her.

Perking my ears hoping it would guise my sadness, I reassured her, "Sorry, I merely got lost in my thoughts." Discreetly, I peeked over at Shade's nest only to see that it was empty. My heart sank a bit, but I pushed the feeling away. For Mom and Dad… and Miss. "Miss, where is Shade?" I think I sounded rude, but I ignored my transgression.

Miss apparently didn't catch my rudeness, "He's outside, going for his morning walk. Should be back any minute now." I nodded, rising to stretch and groom my bed-fur. For some strange reason, I walked over to the berry bowl and gulped down a Pecha berry, not even savoring its sickeningly sweet taste. My paw ached less, but not enough. This much I figured when what was supposed to be a normal, mundane paw-step sent waves of pain coursing through my body.

"Are you okay?" Miss inquired, her elegant brow furrowing with worry.

"Yeah, sorry, I just overdid it with my paw," Was my feeble attempt to mask my pain.

"Don't scare me like that deary," Miss said. I smiled weakly and walked (slower) through the cloth draping the entrance. Sunlight shone brightly, unused to the light because of my stay in the cave, I was broadsided with the magnificent light. When my eyes adjusted, I looked around the clearing, breathing in the fresh, crisp air. I found a giant tree in the middle of the clearing next to a clear pond. I eagerly lapped at the water and then lay down under the tree after my thirst was sated. Taking another look around the clearing, my eyes reported back to my mind with breakneck speed. The mirror-like pond sat a few feet away from me, sparkling in the sunlight. A dense wood surround me, a berry bush protruded out of it. How beautiful I would've been at night, if only that night never happened. A leafy rustle came in the bush across from me. Jumping to my feet, I growled in a menacing voice the old Yuki would never have used, "Who's there?!"

"Calm down, it's only your friend Shade." The strange Umbreon stepped out of the bush; his green rings glowed even in this bright sunlight.

When I sighed, I felt the contempt and stress flow out into the air. I glared at him suspiciously and sat back down. "After my experience I wouldn't be surprised if you were my brother!" I hissed his name in hatred. Even I was surprised at the emotion his mention brought. I used to love him.

"I'm sorry you're so high-strung!" He snapped back in reply. He padded up to me and licked my cheek in a friendly overture, then stared, daring for a reaction.

I flushed a deep red on contact and immediately resented the weak reaction Old Yuki would've had. Putting my paw to my cheek, I stammered on my mind clouded with confusion, "W-what was that for?" I can't believe it. He just licked me like he knew me for years!

He sat there, smirking. "Just trying to make things right. Did I anything something wrong?" he asked in an innocent voice.

_Like a Pecha berry. What I'd give to wipe that smile off his mug._

I said to him, narrowing my eyes, not removing my paw, "No, nothing at all, but you do have to admit, you just did something normal Pokemon don't do. You showed me a sign of affection and you barely know me. Face it, I dazzle you." Now it was MY time to smirk at him, and I raised my eyebrows, waiting for HIS reaction. I laid my paw next to its sister.

He frowned, a barely recognizable tint of pink on his black cheeks. Just what the doctor ordered! "I did not! I was just trying to cheer you up!" he said in an indignant tone. I let go of myself and got up to his cheek. I sat in front of him. With my own cocky smile. "What?!" He demanded in a coy growl. Was it coy?

"I was just trying to apologize, for making you turn pink like a new-born kit," I stated cruelly, feigning innocence.

"Please, at least I didn't hide it unlike someone I know," He rebutted.

Reflexively, my paw flew to my cheek once again. He said nothing more and his smirk returned with a vengeance.

_I needed to ask him something...what was it.... _I tilted my head and stared at the sky. The light bulb finally popped over my head, "Oh, what do you do on you morning walks?"

"Walk," He said, as it I didn't know.

"Thank you Captain Obvious! I mean besides walking!!"

"You're welcome, Miss Nosy. I practice battle skills, if that's what you're asking."

I tittered and inquired, "What moves do you know?"

He closed his golden eyes in thought and recited as if he was asked everyday, "What moves do I not know? I can do _Moonlight, Pursuit, Shadow Ball_ and _Mean Look_. Why?"

I shook my head yet again and shrugged, "Just curious."

"What moves do YOU know?"

"_Tail Whip, Tackle_ and _Sand Attack_..." I mumbled, my ears drooping.

He stared at me intensely, and cracked up.

I glared at him, growling, "Don't laugh!" I didn't do much training when I was with my parents!" I flinched. My heart ached at the mere mention. It brings back bad memories, and I wanted the good memories, with all of us laughing and playing with each other. I smiled slightly. I remembered then when Tai used to play. We had our regular family night game of "Truth or Dare", a human game, which we loved to play.

"What are you smiling about?" Shade asked a glee smile was on his face.

"Just some memories. I remembered when Tai used to play, my family would play a human game every end of the week. I could remember his bushy tail would always swish in excitement, "I WANT TO GO FIRST!!! LET ME GO FIRST PLEASE!!!" He would beg my Mother. She would giggle and say, "Of course. You always and will always go first in this game." I would stare at my brother in admiration and watch as he thought of who to choose. It would always be me he would choose," My smile grew wider, "I would chose Dare. I would love an adventure. He would close his eyes in thought while I would perk my ears and wait patiently. SWOOSH his eyes open and yell a ridiculous dare. I would always try and fail at them. It made everyone so happy!" I sighed, "I wish those days would come back..." The river of tears I dammed this morning finally broke free.

Shade got up, and pressed his sleek muzzle onto my cheek. He whispered in my ear, "I'm so sorry. Yuki."

I gasped at the way he said my name. I pressed my head onto his chest and smelled his musky smell. Then I heard a rustle. I lift my head and growled slightly, my fur bristling.

Shade pulled away and growled his fur bristled to make him look like a fluffy ball of terror. He sniffed the air, and flinched, "Human!" He growled more menacing and took a step back as humans came out from the bushes in front of us.

One of the humans had a red curly bush on his head and a hat. The other human, was dark than the pale human and he didn't have much hair under his hat. The dark human smirked, "Ho, what do we have here? An Umbreon protecting his mate? How cute, but I would break up this love fest for money on that Shiny Eevee."

I was shocked. I cringed behind Shade, who growled more dangerously, not bothering to take note that the dark human called us 'mates'. He bristled more furiously, if the hair can extend any farther and opened his mouth. A shadowy orb formed in his mouth and he spit it to the humans, who didn't flinch as the orb whizzed pass both of their heads.

The dark human's smirk was slapped on his face, "Ho, what a nice move...trying to scare us are you? Nice try! Go Houndour!" The dark human...argh I need another name for him...Bob would do for now. 'Bob' threw a Poke Ball into the air. It opened and a flash of light flew to the ground and a dog Pokemon replaced the light. The dog had a skull-like thing on its forehead, with some outside ribs on his back. He was black with brown .

He growled deeply, it must have rumbled from his chest, "Name's Houndour, back off from the chick and I won't hurt her." He threatened.

I whined out loud in fear and Houndour sneered.

Shade growled and put his body between me and Houndour. "Make me stupid!"

This probably set Houndour off, he growled, leaping. "Stop Houndour!" 'Bob' commanded. Houndour glared at the human but obeyed and missed Shade by inches. Shade opened his mouth and another shadowy orb came from his mouth. Houndour landed on his belly as the _Shadow Ball_ attack miss him. He jumped back up and walked back to his master's side. 'Bob' looked at the curly hair man, "Your turn." He said flatly.

The curly haired, or I call him 'Red', pulled out two Poke Balls and made a huge, crazy grin, "One." 'Bob' said flatly again. The grin disappeared and his chose the one that was on the left. He put one hand in his pocket and threw the ball into the air, causing another flash of white light come from the ball and a Pokemon in its place. This one was also a dog, a blue one that stands on his hind legs and sort of a black mask over his eyes.

"Yo Riolu." Houndour called from his master's side.

Riolu nodded, "What do you want me to do Lynx?" He turned to his master. _Oh, so his name was Lynx...that sounds familiar but not enough for me to remember where I heard it... _Lynx smirked, "Kill them." Was all he said, as if he could understand the Riolu. _I thought they wanted to make money off of me..._

"Can Houndour help? I don't want this to be too easy... what do you think Jeff?" The blue dog left his gaze from his master to Jeff...whom I thought was 'Bob' but...

"Go ahead Houndour; help make this fun for him." The skeleton dog growled with pleasure and walked next to the blue dog's side.

I stared wide eye in shock, "H-how could the humans know what y-you're saying?!" I gasped.

The Riolu turned to me and smirked, "Naive Eevee, since you are going to die, there's no need to keep a secret. I'm a Physic Pokemon, my mind can translate the Pokemon speech into Human language and understand what we are saying, like this conversation right now."

"But..."

"Ah, I'm not finished. We Pokemon are to go through training to be adjusted to the shock as a collar is put on. The shock is to see if the Pokemon is strong and loyal enough to withstand it and be trusted with the collar. The name of the operation, as the Rockets would call it, was 'Loyalty Collar'. Even the most loyal Pokemon die from the shock, trying to withstand the shock, but in the end they got cocky and turned it to high voltage... Any Poke dare to defy the master would be killed." He bowed his head and glared at the ground, crunching his fist into balls, "This thing also took away my family…" He whispered, not bothering to finish his sentence. Luckily, the human couldn't hear the last part.

I gasped, "I'm so sorry...maybe if you left--"

That set him off. His eyes widen in horror. "NEVER! If I would show disloyalty I'll meet the same fate." He lifted his head, "I'm sorry it has to come to this... What attack Master?" He called behind him without turning his head.

His trainer pretended to be thoughtful and smirked, "Try your Force Palm on the Umbreon...this ought to be fun..." He laughed darkly. "Also, Houndour may join the battle. I wonder how this would turn out."

Jeff smirked, "Don't want to take the glory huh? Fine, but the Umbreon's rings are green so they should cost a lot but not as much as the Shiny Eevee...so don't kill both of them got it? Houndour you can use Fire Fang. Have fun guys." Jeff chuckled darkly, waving his hand in dismissal.

The Riolu bowed, his head hung low, "Yes Master. Again, I'm sorry it has to come to this..." He lifted his head, along with his paw, and it took a bright, fiery blue glow and he released the orb at Shade.

The Houndour bowed, smirking and softly chuckling. He bared his fangs which engulfed in flames he launched at Shade.

My eyes widened in horror. "Stop!" I cried. My plea was unheard. The battle has begun.

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**A review would be appreciative!!**


	3. Strife, inside and out

**Chapter 3, enjoy~!**

---

I could only watch as an epic battle unfolded before my eyes. Shade was out there defending me, putting himself in harm's way to help out a Pokemon he had just met. And I was helpless. _How can the world be so ugly? How can it be so full of hate and strife? _I thought as the world turned faster with the adrenaline of battle.

Shade's Shadow Ball intercepted Riolu's Force Palm, along with Houndour's Fire Fang. He must have put a lot of energy into the orb to make it that huge! There was an explosion and all three Pokemon flew from the smoke, landing hard on the ground. I can hear grunts of frustration filling the air, making their master's emotions heard. The smoke and debris filled the air around us, masking what grace was left on Earth. The smoke subsided, revealing three still figures at the center of it all. The humans stood still, merely taking in the scene. Swablu and Beautifly ceased their constant work songs and fled to the safety of their nests. All was silent. It was if the whole world stopped to listen to the battle.

"Houndour, back off, this is my battle." Riolu rumbled from deep in this throat, not taking his eyes off of Shade. Houndour shoots him a rejected look, but tiredly nods.

Shade glares back. "I thought you wanted to share the glory?" He hissed.

The blue Pokemon retorted, head tilted, "I'll admit. I underestimated you. I would like a one-on-one battle. How does that sound?"

"What are you doing Riolu? Finish him!" Lynx shouted, obviously infuriated.

Lynx took a step forward but Jeff stopped him with stinging words, "We don't to lose either Pokemon fool. Let Riolu be."

Shade said back, "Why not? This is going to be easy!" He crouched, ready to pounce.

"Don't underestimate me blacky." Riolu sneered. As he raised his paw to the now cloudy sky, a fiery sphere leaped from it. Shade leaped out of the way and used _Shadow Ball_. Another black explosion clouded my vision. The Riolu fell to the ground, his face twisted in a wicked smile.

"Not bad..." He growled. He closed his eyes, and stood up. Blue orbs of pure energy circled around him and he released them at another shadowy orb let loose by Shade. When the smoke cleared, Riolu was on one knee, barely able to catch his breath, let alone speak.

"Again, not bad Umbreon, you were able to affect me with my _Counter_. But can you match to this?" The blue Pokemon stood tall and raised his graceful paw again. A black vortex opened up in front of his paw and he sent a _Force Palm_ into the never-ending gap. I gasped.

"He used _Future Sight_! Be careful Shade, that move can kill you!" I warned, and this time he took my warning seriously.

Shade's eyebrows furrowed as he thought. He glared at the Riolu, his eye's glowed purple.

Riolu showed a ghost of a flinch and yet again retaliated, "_Mean Look_...Do you think that will help?"

The Umbreon chuckled darkly, "It'll help me in eliminating you!"

My eyebrows furrowed, scowling. "What's he up to...?" I murmured to myself.

Shade crouched and concentrated hard. He suddenly was covered in a black aura and he disappeared from his spot.

I blinked in confusion, and then the light bulb finally popped over me._ He's using **Pursuit**._

Riolu sidestepped when Shade suddenly reappeared, he was ramming into him with full force! Shade rebounded off of the tree, landing a blow. The Riolu, caught by either Shade's sheer skill or surprise, skidded across the ground roughly and lay motionless.

I gaped at the skirmish. _Shade had taken him out so fast! Then what about Riolu's **Future Sight**?_ I thought to myself. My eyes widened with fear. _How long has it been since Riolu cast it? Long enough! _My instinct answered, my fur bristling.

I tried in vain to warn him, "Shade! Riolu's _Future Sight_!" As Shade turned his head, a vortex opened in front of him and the _Force Palm_ hit him dead on. He cried out and flew across the ground. When he finally hit the ground, he struggled to get up.

"Of course," He cursed his bad luck.

Lynx swore louder, "Why won't Riolu return?!" He clicked the red and white ball harder. It looked like he was about to crush the contraption with merely his frustration.

Jeff shook his head, "Calm down, the Umbreon used _Mean Look_ on him. He won't be able to return for a bit, fool." Jeff was casually leaning against a tree as he watched the fight, "Your turn Houndour."

Houndour chuckled, "This is going to be child's play." He got up from where Shade's _Shadow Ball_ had placed him, shaking his fur. He growled with the thought of crushing his opponent.

_No! Shade's going to get killed, and it's my entire fault! _

"Looks like it's the end fella." Houndour growled before leaping into the air, his fangs taking on fire.

Shade shut his eyes anticipating the pain. Suddenly, a yellow orb materialized in front of the menacing creature. He froze in mid air, his jaws still agape. He whined in confusion, his eyes went to swirls until he finally fell to the ground. **_Confuse Ray_**_...but who did this?_

"Miss!" Shade bawled hoarsely.

I whirled around and the kindly Misdreavus faded in from behind me. I sighed with relief, "Miss, why are you here?"

"Why else but to help you. I knew something was wrong. Quickly deary, focus. The _Confuse Ray _won't last long. I'm going to need your paw, and I suggest that you use _Moonlight _Shade."

We both nodded in synchronization. I stuck out my paw while looking over my shoulder and saw Shade's green rings glowed brightly. Sparkling, seemingly magical dust fell from the sky above him. _How could he use **Moonlight** when the moon isn't even out? I'll never be that powerful. _ I thought to myself. A light, hard object fell into my paw. It seemed to be a flat disk, smooth as glass and holding an unknown power. _A power unknown to any Pokemon._ A tingly feeling coursed through my body and I gasped slightly. A click sounded in my head, and I knew instinctively that I had just learned a new move. "Whoa..." I breathed, unable to comprehend the event that had just occurred.  
Miss nodded and explained without me asking, "A TM, a device humans use to teach Pokemon moves that they can not learn with their own skill. For example, the TM that I just gave you contained the move _Iron Tail_, a move you can learn but not by yourself deary. Now hurry _Confuse Ray_ is wearing out!" And with those parting words, Miss faded from view.

Wait!" I called to the air, "How do I use it?" I got no response.

_Go with your gut for heaven's sake!_ Miss' voice sounded in my head. With Miss' words engraved in my mind, I rushed over to Shade. _Moonlight_ seemed to have alleviated most of his pain. "Yuki!" He hissed, "What are you doing? Get out of my way."

Houndour snapped out of confusion and fixed refreshed eyes on us. "Geeze Umbreon, can't you control your lady?" He jested as he assumed a crouch, gathering energy for a spectacular attack. After a slit second, he leaped into the air, _Fire Fang_ blazing. _Fire, beautiful and destructive. _ I froze, wracking my mind for something. _Okay guts, what do I do now?_ I looked to my plume of a tail, hoping that it would provide an answer for me. It struck me like a rock thrown into a pond. I needed to focus my energy into my tail. My tail started to glow faintly. _Maybe_, I thought, _maybe I'm too weak_. _The best is yet to be_. Those words that my mother often said suddenly popped into my conscious. To my surprise, the more I concentrated, the brighter it glowed. Now it occurred to me that I had the power to fight back. I whirled face Houndour, who was only a few feet away from me. When he came within striking range, I struck him with my energy soaked tail. He and his humans cried out in pain, and surprise.

I never took my eyes off of my opponent, and what a sight I saw. It was as if time slowed to a near stop. This was the feeling of battle. Houndour flew at his trainers. No matter how fast they ran, Houndour flew faster, inevitably Houndour touched down on them and they blasted off away. I sighed with relief, they were finally gone! Hurray! "Shade! Did you see that! I finally helped!" I howled, twirling in a circle.

Shade, as expected, said, "Yep, all you did was land a lucky blow."

"And I assume you can do better?"

"Of course, after all, I am _Master_ Shade."

"What about Riolu? Can we keep him?"

"You make it sound as if he's a toy."

"It's okay. My master was blown away; therefore there is no need to follow him." The blue Pokemon said as he stood up rather unsteadily. "But maybe they can track us with the collar," He whispered presumably to himself, but I overheard anyway.

I decided to opt for silence as I let Riolu lean on my shoulder. Riolu didn't talk much on the way, just making occasional quips in my conversation with Shade. Shade didn't mind him butting in, on the account that he didn't do it too often. When we finally made it to the cave, Miss was waiting just outside the entrance. "Oh my, those injuries are serious. Come, come, inside you go deary," She coaxed us in with her usual manner.

The Riolu was starting to fade by the time I got him into the nest next to mine. "Thank you," He gasped.

"Deary, can you go wait by the table. I need to examine him." Miss asked politely.

I nodded and walked over to the table, and started to fidget. _Riolu's injuries can't possibly be that serious!_ My breaths sped as panic overwhelmed me.

"Deary? Can you hand me a Sitrus Berry please?" Miss said, interrupting my thoughts. She turned to me, concern in her eyes, "Is something the matter deary?"

"I'll get it," Shade said as he grabbed a yellow berry from the bowl gave it to Miss. He settled next to me, assuring me, "Don't worry, he'll be fine, I promise."

My gasps slowed and turned into shallow wheezes. _I'm scared. I don't know why I'm scared. This isn't going to be all right. These things never come out the right way. _ Tears dripped from my eyes. "I feel so weak crying," I said bluntly to myself, "But I kind of proved myself today with _Iron Tail_ but I feel like I'm failing myself everytime." I shook my head slowly.

"Master Shade, all of the curing berries please," Miss interrupted again, her red gaze never leaving Riolu.

Shade turned to me, making sure I wasn't about to do anything rash.

I nodded, wiping the tears away; I walked over to Miss and Riolu. "Is he going to be okay?" I whispered, willing my voice to crack.

Miss answered, not even bothering to turn to face me, "Yes, he will. I'm positive." She turned to me and said with a smile, "It's going to be okay deary. Trust me."

I sighed, ears drooping, "Okay, I'm tired, may I got to sleep?" Without waiting for an approval, I walked over to my nest, and curled up into a ball, tail over nose. I heard Miss say yes telepathically along with that I heard other things.

"Yuki? May I ask you something?" A voice asked me. It was familiar but it wasn't Shade's or Miss' voice. The voice was whispered to me again, "Yuki? You awake?"

"Yes Riolu..." I answered groggily, "What is it? Are you in pain?" I lifted my head slightly, looking into his eyes and blinked twice.

"No, I heard you and Shade talking while Miss was tending to me, they are asleep, but Shade might be listening on our conversation," Riolu replied. I glanced at Shade's nest only to see what I expected, his ears perked. _Nosy_. At this point, it was the middle of the night. I yawned widely saying, "Okay get to the point please?" I tried not to sound rude, but that was hard when you're tired.

" Do you need help honing your skills? I'll understand if you say no," Riolu paused, waiting for my response. I must have taken a while to let it seep in, because Riolu started to shake me, "Yuki? Are you alright?" He whispered urgently.

"Yes!" I whispered as loudly as I could, "Yes, I would love that! Thank you Riolu!" I nuzzled him and he put a good paw on my back.

"Okay, we can start after Miss gives the okay. I can't wait for our first lesson." He smiled. _Riolu seems nicer than I expected him to be. I'm glad we met him._

I smiled a cheesy smile with my tail swishing excitedly. Now I was too excited to sleep, so I decided to go outside for a bit, "I'm going out, and I'll be back soon." I told the Riolu.

He nodded and lay back down, contented. He was asleep in seconds. I walked as quietly as I could pass Shade, whose ears are now flat against his back, a cocky grin on his face.

When I emerged outside, I saw a gray and pink sky. _Dawn is arriving. It must have taken Riolu a while to try to get me up._ I giggled to myself and walked over to the small sparkling pond. The sparkles aren't going to really shine until the sun looks over them. _That kind of reminds me of me...The pond can't look beautiful without the sun, and I can't be at my full potential without Riolu, Shade, or Miss. They are so important to me._ I sat still with as I watched the sun rise above the trees. The trees and even the grass seemed to bow down as their provider and king rose from his slumber. I basked with the trees and grass in the radiant light of the sun. _There is still order and beauty in the world. No matter what happens, the sun will still shine in the morning. _Gradually, the vegetation around me seemed to grow stronger, growing as father time ticked away. I lifted my paw to see with new eyes the grass that I had trampled. As if coaxed by the luminous sun, it began to rise to take its turn in the sun, growing stronger with each moment. The air was filled with scent of Chesto flowers, fresh grass, and possibility. Then a thought hit me, "Maybe I can train a bit before Riolu gets better and Shade can help me with my _Iron Tail_!" I sure sounded selfish. I shook my head and ran back to the cave. _Maybe it's good to be selfish sometimes._

---

**Sorry it took me so long to write this, I kind of got distracted ^^;;.**


	4. The Visit

**Note: I changed my PenName...why? Because I felt like it! OMG! SO SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE!!! My editor is very busy these days, so I hope you're not too angry with me! Chapter 4 Enjoy~!**

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I swung my glowing tail again, impacting the tree for what felt like the millionth time leaving a large, roughly comma-shaped dent. When I leaped back onto the soft grass, I was huffing slightly. _Who knew it was so tiring to use Iron Tail? _Shade was shouting welcome words of encouragement from a few yards away.

"Great effort, keep it up!"

Right now, it was noon and he was teaching me on the proper usage of _Iron Tail. _I sighed breathlessly and plopped down into the downy grass.

"Can I take five? I'm hungry," I pleaded into Shade's red eyes.

With an exasperated sigh, he nodded rather reluctantly. I for one was pleased with his response. Over a berry bush was a particularly juicy-looking berry. I ran over and popped it into my dry mouth. As soon as I took the first bite, a wave of sour juice flooded my mouth. My face scrunched up as Shade came plodding over. "This is good," Was what was supposed to come out of my sour face in an attempt to look tough, however; it came out as a garbled mess.

Shade, barely able to control his chuckles, and looked me right in the eye with those ruby eyes, "You look like a Magikarp." Somehow he conjured the audacity to pluck the same berry off of the bush and eat it! Purposefully savoring every single bit of that blasted berry! With more and more blood rushing to my ears, I ducked down and preened my fur. _Iron Tail. Shade has helped me out a lot, but the teacher I'm really looking forward to is Riolu. That may be a problem, should I train with Riolu or Shade? I don't want to hurt either's feelings… _

"If you keep on licking that spot, it won't make the ugly disappear," Shade said, interrupting my thoughts. Blood rushed anew to my cheeks and my thoughts ceased. After a moment of seemingly awkward silence, my brain rebooted.

"I have to talk to Miss, about girl stuff ya know?" I explained, cursing my sluggish reaction.

Shade didn't appear to mind and nodded his approval. With his blessing, I trotted back to the cave with unexpected vitality. Beyond the drape was Riolu in the back, fast asleep in his make-shift nest even though it is almost noon. Miss' form materialized in front of me.

_Is something the matter deary?_ Her thoughts breached my thoughts.

_I need to talk to you! _I glanced back at Riolu who was as still as a heavy stone in a turbulent river. _I don't know why, but somehow I am torn between two choices for teachers. I don't know what to do. What if I make one happy and hurt the other?_ Was I whining? No, new Yuki does not whine.

Miss gazed into my eyes, analyzing every emotion that was probably written all over my face. _You want a piece of my wisdom, then here it is. Ask Master Shade and learn his thoughts. He is a reasonable one. _Then Miss peeped over her shoulder at Riolu and then back at me.

I grinned and nodded my thanks before racing through the mouth of the cave, nearly sending Shade bowling into a tree.

"I'm sorry Shade, but I have to tell you something right now!" I practically screeched before my courage could desert me, "I want to train with Riolu when he's up to it." I shut my eyes, praying he would not react unfavorably.

"I don't mind sharing you with that miscreant," Shade replied almost immediately, "but you expected me to say something mean. Didn't you?" There was a callous tone to his voice, but the smile that spread across his face told me that what he said was good natured.

"Yes, yes I did. Because I was pretty sure you wanted me all to your selfish self," I countered, proud that I actually came with a come-back. Not missing a beat, Shade rejoined with a friendly jab to my chest.

"Don't worry, if you ever fell I would catch you before you can put up that damsel in distress act," He said jovially. _It feels so nice to have such a trust-worthy friend._

_--_

I awoke to an unfamiliar fog. Startled, I frantically looked around for the friendly stone walls of the cave. _I'm all alone._ My heart raced out of control. My breathing became shallower. And shallower. Until they were almost nothing. The fog choked me. Tears welled. A yellow figure was become larger. And larger. My heart nearly stopped when Tai emerged. His deep brown eyes were smiling again. Oh, how I missed that. If only we could go back.

"Yuki!" He exclaimed as he pressed his nose into my fur. Now I know I am dreaming. I don't know this Eon anymore.

"I thought you hated me," I said evenly after I pulled away, careful not to get too attached to this Jolteon.

"Why would I hate my only sister?" As he said this, I fought hard, begging myself to wake up. "Mom, Dad, I found Yuki!" Now this was the last straw, my mother and father are dead. I struggled harder.

"Yuki!" An Espeon yelled, flooding the area with her exuberance with every step she took. My stomach turned as she too nuzzled me. _When was my mother ever like this?_ Predictably, an Umbreon came into view. This was the moment when I knew I was going to break. "Beware of flashing eyes," My "mother" said in an eerie voice. It sent chills down my spine as the fog dissipated into nothingness. _I need you Tai._

--

"My family appeared in a dream last night," I said as nonchalantly as possible before sinking my teeth into the firm flesh of a berry. As the sweet pink juice oozed out of the chunk now missing from its body, Shade shot me a confused look.

"So? You miss them, that's all," He said before slowly carving lumps out of his Razz Berry.

"But the weird thing was, my mom told me to look out for flashing eyes."

"Hm, my father told me that one time. It's probably an old proverb."

Riolu slithered through a bush behind us almost without a sound. "Are you ready to get your butt in gear Yuki?" He asked, stretching his slender arms.

"Shouldn't you be hungry?" I said rather tartly before throwing him a slightly overripe Bluk Berry.

He nodded his head in gratitude before popping the whole thing into his jaws.

With a chuckle, Shade raised his sparkling eyes. When they met, my blood chilled briefly before I melted into a puddle of pleasure.

"Get moving," Riolu's voice pierced my ecstasy. I hurried after him through the bush, still deep in thought. _Have I done anything to make Tai hate me? Is this my fault? _No, I'm new Yuki now, and that Yuki doesn't think like that. Stay strong. Even so, the images of the trio who influenced Tai flew into my mind. That Gardevoir with her bewitching eyes, there was a she-Seviper with fangs that looked like they could penetrate wood, and a Meganium with a sour smell on him. _They were the reason Tai turned. Yes. It's their fault. _

"Yuki, where are you?" Riolu called from behind. I looked back and caught his eyes before they widened in alarm. "Roll left!"

I rolled left to see a violet apparition meet the ground with such force that took my breath away. "You scared my prey," A deep, irritated voice hissed. The voice made me cringe in terror for a second before I reprimanded myself.

"It looks like we meet again Yuki," A shrill voice laughed from the shadows, another one joined her.

"Riolu?" I whispered tentatively.

"Yeah?"

"Those guys messed up my brother…"

"Such cruel words, nice girls like you shouldn't be saying such things," A third voice, soft and sly rang.

"Run Yuki, I'll hold them off," Riolu insisted before pushing me away. I ran as fast as my legs allowed, praying for Riolu.

---

**Will Riolu live? Will Yuki save him in time? Hopefully, I'll try as fast as I can to put the next chapter up! Battle after battle...how are they ever going to recover? ****Sorry for the short-ness of the chapter! ****R&R!**


	5. Woe

**Chapter 5! Enjoy~!**

**---  
**

Miss was close behind me and Shade was nowhere to be found. As we raced through the thick forest back to Riolu, a loud explosion shook my ears and body soon followed by a wounded screech. When we broke through the bush, Riolu was ensnared in the iron grip of _Grass Knot_. Riolu flinched as the grass tightened its grip on his body. The Seviper slid closer saying, "You look like you'd be tasty." She let out a frustrated hiss as I swung a well practiced _Iron Tail_ to free Riolu from his trap only to discover that the grass was has tough as leather. Leaping, I tried a swing at his assailant which did work. With a swift _Force Palm_, Riolu extricated himself from the grass.

"Yuki! What took you so long?!" He gasped as soon as he freed himself.

"Maybe I should've stopped for a snack while I was at it while you suffocate on grass," I retorted, not taking my eyes off of the Seviper. Every moment I looked at her, the hatred and disgust grew. She was cruising for a really good bruising. Without putting any thought to it, I charged her and quickly got sent back flying with a well maneuvered _Poison Tail_ to the shoulder. Shocked for a moment, I felt my delicate fur burn away. Then the pain came. I roared in agony as the poison took hold.

Miss, dismayed, rushed to my side. _Stay here!_ She said before she flew off in an unknown direction.

With a a satisfied hiss, my opponent slithered over, "I would love to watch you die a slow death, but I'm hungry. Big girls have to eat." I clenched my eyes, sure that my last image would be Seviper lunging at me fast as a train, fangs blazing. When the moment of my death was taking longer than I expected, I opened my eyes a crack. One of Seviper's fangs was held in a death grip by Riolu; its sister was embedded in Riolu's shoulder. As the blood trickled down his blue fur, I saw Tai. When we were young, Tai limped dramatically up to Mom. "Mom, I got a cut while playing!" He moaned. I was just a baby then and seriously thought Tai was going to die of blood loss, even though it was only a superficial cut. Mom; however, stayed calm through the whole ordeal. She quickly healed Tai's cut and he back running to Dad. Painfully, I stood up. The poison was doing its work in my body, but Riolu needed me. With every step draining me of my strength, I struck Seviper mercilessly with the only battle move I knew. After a couple of doses of _Iron Tail, _the Seviper fell limply on the grass in front of me, and I started to shake. _Did I just kill her?_ The gravity of what just happened injured me worse than the poison.

The Gardevoir, who was on the sidelines, bounded over to her friend. "Zelia, are you alright?" She asked vainly. When no answer came, she clasped her hands together and murmured a secret enchantment. Almost instantaneously, Zelia seemed to glow ever so slightly, all my damage I did her disappeared as if it never happened. With the Gardevoir's _Wish_, my lungs collapsed and my legs, stumpy as they are, failed me. Collapsing, I saw a Pecha Berry land in front of my nose. With the last of my strength, I gulped down a bite. The poison was instantly quelled, but my vigor did not return. Shade stood nearby, and there was a nuance in his aura.

"You came way too late. Where were you?" I asked tentatively. For the first time, I was scared of Shade.

"Discussing an important subject with that Meganium over in the brush. His name is Rush, in case you are too ignorant to know," He said coolly before he released a _Shadow Ball_ that thumped me squarely in the chest. I was astonished by the combination of Shade's behavior and the shadowy orb thumped the last vestige of my energy out. I couldn't think anymore, the throbbing in my head wouldn't allow it. Shade's eyes glinted briefly as my own started to shut. The noise around me dissipated and the world faded to oblivion.

I awoke back in the cave with a start. _Was it all just a nightmare? Did I just lose my best friend?_ I asked myself. Riolu and Miss looked forlornly at me when I asked the same question I thought and said, "Shade is gone."

---

**Good Lord, this chapter was short but it said A LOT! Damn, my editor is good =P. Anyways, sorry for the shortness, but I hoped you enjoyed~!**


	6. Heroine Arising

**Chapter 6, Enjoy~!**

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Miss and Riolu should stop worrying, but there is a hole in my heart where Shade should be. I haven't moved from my nest for many elongated, dreary days crying my heart out. In the midst of wallowing today, a fog shrouded my eyes, replacing the blur of tears. Indistinct figures mingled with it.

"Who's there?" My voice cracked. There were two figures, their images obscured by the translucent fog. Closer and closer they came, until I could make out every hair of Tai's and my mother's mane. "Where's Dad?" I inquired, calm now.

"That's not why we came here Yuki," Mom said. The memory of the last visit sped past my eyes and I remembered her warning.

"Mom, I didn't heed your warning about flashing eyes," I started, "That Rush also left with… you know. I am sorry. Maybe his leaving is divine retribution."

"Yuki! Don't blame yourself! It's his fault for being selfish and --" Tai growled.

"I should have noticed if he was hurting!"

"Save it! I can't stand it when you act like a self-loathing loser!" Tai shouted before tearing through the fog out of sight.

_The threat is not gone yet. Your foundation will be tested. _I whirled around to find my mother gone, leaving that behind. The fog dissipated reality and all its glory came back. Tears sticking to my fur, hunger drove me to finally rise. _I haven't walked in days! Are all of my bones going to crack? _My ribs and legs were sore from being laid on; my feet were sensitive from lack of use, and just about all of my joints popped with every minute movement. _When was the last time I ate? _ Resting on the table was a bowl of my favorite Bluk berries. I savored every morsel of the mouth staining fruit. _Why did Shade leave? _

Outside the cave, the world still moved on, Shade or no Shade. The clouds and trees hailed Dawn as she illuminated the world with her pink light. Fall was arriving and the wind was no longer merciful. The trees ruffled their leaves as I ruffled my fur in recognition to the wind. Every blade of grass was humbled and leaves descended from their thrones to the Earth to feed their mother with their decomposed bodies. Underneath one of such trees, was Riolu. I stood agape for a brief moment against the frigid wind. Riolu was coiled into a tight ball of blue, shuddering under the sturdy tree.

"Riolu, what were you thinking? You can catch a cold out here," I insisted, "Get back into the cave."

Riolu stirred and asked, "What do want?"

"I want you to roll back into the cave!" I declared as I dribbled him forward. A distant rumble shook the earth, interrupted our romp. Riolu now lay flat on his back. "A storm?" he asked. _This is the first thunder storm without my family._ The roar of thunder came got to his feet just in time to eat my dust as I raced for the security of the cave.

"Deary, are you ok?" Miss inquired as I dove into my nest, trembling. Thunder sounded.

"You didn't have to run," Riolu huffed as he came in. He walked over to my shelter and proudly declared, "If you have to be scared of something, be scared of the lightning, not the thunder. But either way, I'm here to watch your back!" Another wave of thunder resonated. I peeped out. Riolu was standing in inflated bravery. The air grew lighter until deafening thunder rang. _I want Shade. _Miss, not wanting to miss out on the action, came closer with her tender smile, "I'm here too deary."

"My mother used to tell me that lightning and thunder was the result of Rayquaza cleaning out his scales," Riolu said.

"And the rain is a gift from Kyogre to quench the thirst of the Earth," Miss added.

"Without rain, Groudon would have dominance and everything would be dry." The blue Pokemon spread his arms in the air.

"It's all about balance, deary."

"Without Dialga or Palkia would make my fur pink!" I giggled at the thought. _Riolu in pink fur...hm..._

"And Arcticuno, Zapdos, and Moltres need Lugia to mollify their fights."

"Yin and Yang!"

"Salt and Pepper!"

"What goes around comes around."

"I think you missed the point," Miss giggled at the last statement Riolu made.

_They are helping me, why can't I help Shade? He's probably out there miserable in the same storm. _"We should bring Shade back," I stated, but the world didn't stop and the air remained light with a slight twinge of seriousness.

"I know a Pokemon who knows a good bit of gossip," Miss said.

I blinked, butterflys fluttered in my tummy, _That's a start._

_---_

_**R&R!!**  
_


	7. Sullied

Editor here, sorry, but I have not had enough time lately to edit with finals and such breathing down my neck. Hikasummer's and my partnership can be compared to Shigure's (from Fruits Basket) and his editor's, only backwards. Enjoy this next chapter and have a great summer!

I was literally jumping out of my fur. "Can we go now?" I called into the cave impatiently.

"Yes, yes. Hang on one more second deary!" Miss called back with her buttery, sweet voice.

"You're impatient as ever," Riolu said as he descended from a tree and hopped towards me.

"Well, I'm going to take some action and get my best friend back!" I sat down and curled my white tail around my paws. Its tip twitched impatiently.

Riolu chuckled, gently stepping on my tail tip, "Calm down Twitchy, the guy we're looking for isn't going anywhere."

"If we're lucky..." I muttered under my breath. _I can get really rude when I'm kept waiting._

The Riolu perked his ears, "Did you say something?" He snickered.

"Nothing, nothing," I falsely assured him, my tail was still twitching under his paw.

"Sure..." Riolu rolled his eyes.

The thunder clouds from the day before were long gone. The storm went to go harass someone else.

"Deary? Ready to go?" Miss materialized in front of me.

I nodded eagerly, "Yes! I've been ready since dawn!"

Miss turned around and snatched a khaki bag in her mouth. "Take this," She struggled to say with a full mouth, "Ish hash barrah."

I giggled, "It has berries?"

Miss nodded and in a mechanical motion, chucked it over my head. Hastily, I put a paw through it. The bag hung at my side with a strap on my right shoulder. _It may be light now, but who knows how heavy it's going to get during the journey._

"Yes, a perfect fit!" Miss gleamed proudly, "You and Riolu will take turns carrying the berry pouch, and make sure that you do it fairly." Miss giggled, "Come on, the Ampharos lives North by Northwest." Miss hovered over the lake and disappeared through the woods.

Riolu easily hopped over the lake, while I trotted around it. _There is an empty spot in the group, the spot that Shade was supposed to fill._ _That's why the air is so heavy._

After a while, my youthful stride regressed into a fatigued march. When something tapped my shoulder, I glanced up. It was just Riolu.

"My turn to carry the berry pouch," He stated and in one fluid motion, he slung the bag onto his sturdy back.

"Okay," I heard myself say tiredly. _Let's hope he didn't hear that._

"Are you that tired? Do you want to stop?" asked Riolu. _Dang. _

"No, I'm fine. Miss?" I called in front of us.

The ghost turned around.

"When are we going to get to the Ampharos' home?"

"Mmm...Maybe in another five minutes or so, and since we are ahead of schedule, three- four tops." Miss zestfully encouraged before zooming forward again. As if revived by the invigorating words, our pace began anew.  
--

_Finally, _I thought happily, _the Ampharos' cave!_ The cave was a fissure in a colossal boulder, with purple film covering the entrance. _That's where Miss must have gotten the idea to drape something over the cave entrance._ Miss called cautiously to the gaping hole, "Sol? You there?"

"Miss darling! How long has it been since the last time we've embraced each other with our eyes?" exclaimed an exuberant Ampharos. Skipping with every step threatening to bust a hole in the ground, the gargantuan yellow creature enveloped Miss in a jolly hug.

I felt Riolu tense right beside me. _Right now he's probably thinking something along the line of, "Something strange just came out of that cave. Really strange. No, so strange that it is beyond the reach of us mortals._

"Boss, who's there?" called a Pachirisu who followed the peculiar Ampharos anxiously.

"This, Ilan, is Miss the Misdreavus. The one I'm always recalling charming tales about remember?" Sol said as he patted Ilan's head gently.

"You mean the Famous Miss, the one in all of your ancient stories?" The Pachirisu said, jumping out of his fur, "It is nice to meet you! I am Ilan!" He tittered excitedly as his eyes swept over our party. Riolu was so shocked by the behavior of these strange Pokemon that this blue fur stood on end.

"Hello Ilan. My companion's names are Yuki and Riolu," Miss nodded in our direction.

Humbly, I dipped my head, smiling weakly, and Riolu shakily nodded his head in acknowledgment.

"Ah, Miss has mentioned the both of you sometime ago." The Ampharos placed a paw to his chin, "Very interesting. She forgot to disclose precious information about you two. Such as the fact that you are as white as the virgin snow that adorns the mountains during the cruel winter, Miss Yuki."

"U-um...thanks," I blushed a lesser shade of red, "W-was that a compliment?"

Sol chuckled, "Yes Sweety, that indeed was a compliment." He smiled warmly.

Riolu grinned nervously, "Nice to meet you Amp-- Sol." Riolu, still new to the forest, was unused to addressing Pokemon by their given names.

The Ampharos raised his eyebrows, "You have a habit of distantly calling others by their species? What do you call Miss Yuki?"

"Yuki."

"Miss?"

"Miss."

"Me?"

"Am--Sol."

"How dare you?" Ilan jumped on Sol's shoulder, "How dare you muddle the Boss's given name?"

"Now, now Ilan. No pointing paws. Mr. Riolu was merely brought up in a different manner than we were," Sol assured his harried friend, "Mr. Riolu, I do not mind that you call me Ampharos, but do keep in mind that before you leave, you must at least attempt to call me by the name my lovely parents lovingly bestowed upon me at the moment of my birth." He extended a paw out towards the Riolu.

Riolu smirked, "Okay, deal." While he shook the Ampharos' paw, a warm confidence gleamed in his eyes. Though he was still a little tense.

Sol raised his eyebrows, "Miss, darling. What brings you here on such short notice?" Ilan was now balancing on his head, happily swinging his tail. _I want to see this guy cut loose at a party._

"Yuki would like to ask you a question. Since you know what's going on around these parts, she was wondering if you heard something she would like to know." Miss answered before gently head butting me.

Now all eyes were on me. I gave myself the liberty of taking a moment to gather my courage, and I knew before I started talking that my voice would ring with authority.  
"Sol, have you seen an Umbreon with green rings, a Meganium, a Seviper and a Gardevoir lurking about?" I finally asked. Every fiber of my being hoped that he would say yes.

His ears perked and he rapped his foot on the ground several times in though, sending a miniature earthquake through the ground causing Ilan to fall on his face, "Yes, why would someone such as yourself want to know that activities of such a devious group?"

"Well," I turned to Miss and Riolu. They both nodded, a serious look was painted across their faces. "Our best friend was that green-ringed Umbreon. Something spurred to him to leave us, and we're worried." My ears drooped and again I glanced at Miss and Riolu who looked back supportively. _I'm positive that Shade left us. I know Miss also would like Shade back as much as I do. And I know that Riolu is curious about him too._

"Us? Are you sure it's an 'us' and not a 'me'?" Asked Sol furrowed his eyebrows.

I nodded, "Positive."

Ilan jumped on to my head, startling me, "Pardon me, but may I sit down on your head? It looks as if it is comfortable to lie on," He said happily. _He's probably half my weight, how long is it going to take before my neck snaps._

I blinked, "Sure..."

Instantly, he fell asleep. I blinked at Sol, and he chuckled, "Don't worry. After about five minutes, you won't know he's there. Back onto the main subject, so you say that this Umbreon is your best friend?"

I nodded .

"And he left you."

I nodded again.

"For what?"

This stopped me. _Why DID Shade leave us? That's a question I never thought through._

"Think it through tonight while you stay in my cave. Give me the answer and I'll tell you where he's heading and how to save him if you give me the correct one." He winked and walked off, "Miss, darling. We need to catch up." The Ampharos placed a paw on Miss' back and lead her to the cave, "Come along now kitties." He motioned Riolu and me to follow.

I blinked, _Kitties? Doesn't he mean "Kids"? _I glanced at Riolu, and he shrugged. I followed the Ampharos' tail and when I passed through the purple film, I gasped. _This looks like a human house! How do I know what a human house looks like? Who knows...?_

There was a berry table, painted (probably with berry juice. That stuff can be permanent depending on which berry) with the likeliness of flowers, with a berry bowl on top that contain all the berries you can think of. There was a mat woven out of grass on the floor and cushy pillows made up of differently dyed grass weaving and down from flying type Pokemon near the back. There was also a larger pillow, in the shape of a nest. I blinked, "What's that?" I motioned to the beat up furniture.

"That, my sweet, is modeled after what humans call a couch. No structure is too difficult for me to tackle. I made it myself to specifically be used as a nest. It's also spacious enough to hold several Pokemon," Sol explained, gently lifting Ilan off my head. He placed the sleeping guy on a pillow, and tenderly pecked his forehead. _Is Sol his dad or something?_

Ilan murmured some nonsense and curled his tail around him as he sunk into the soft pillow.

"Sol..." I started. He glanced up at me, "Where are Ilan's parents?"

When I saw the sorrow in his black eyes, I severely regretted asking that question.

"No, it's alright, it may not be my place to tell this tale, but you may need to know this to understand the child a little better. Even Miss doesn't know this Pachirisu well." He smile, but didn't look too happy.

"His parents were murdered by the same group you're best friend left with. When Ilan's egg arrived, they were so happy. Yes, I knew them. They were like siblings to me. When I came to visit, both of them seemed fearful for some strange reason. Their egg had hatched just two days before, but someone was stalking their kit. The group came out and ambushed us," He paused, "Do you know what that Seviper did?" We all nodded, horrifying images passing through our minds, "Good...I don't want to go into detail." Sol's story went on for a little more, but I already had a mental image of what had happened. The Gardevoir I saw looked like she could only heal, but from Sol's point of view, she was a killing machine.

"What happened?" I whispered, barely breathing.

"I _Thunder Shoc__k_ed her and the group, and whisked Ilan away. The Gardevoir could have followed, but she didn't, to my relief. I raised Ilan as my own. If that terrible day never happened, I would've probably ended up naming him anyway. His parents lacked creativity and were terrible with names and the nicknames they came up with were atrocious. Your friend was with them at the time. I can still help you save him. I don't want him to take lives away for no reason. I want to help Pokemon, and save those who have the misfortune of facing these bandits. I'll do anything in my power to help stop this."


	8. The Sad Past

**Special thanks to: Pyro Raptor77 for editing this story****! I can't thank you enough! Thanks so much!**

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I sat in my nest, thinking over Sol's story of Ilan. I cringed at the memories of Sol's sad voice, and I quickly looked down at the sleeping Pachirisu at my side. He was still asleep, not bothered by my cringing. I sighed in relief, and put my head down on my paws. _I guess I should get some sleep… it'll help hopefully. _

When I closed my eyes, Tai's face appeared before me. I blinked in confusion, "Tai?"

He looked sadly at me, and walked away, "Tai! Wait!" I called into the mist where the sad Jolteon disappeared. I thought, _why is Tai sad?_ I thought really hard… but nothing came to mind. Then it hit me; I only thought about Shade and completely forgot about my brother. Tears welled in my eyes as my ears drooped, "I'm sorry Tai… I'm so sorry…"

--

"Yu-yu! Yu-yu wake up! It's just a bad dream, as Boss tells me!" Something energetic was shaking me, and I opened my eyes, surprised to feel wetness on my face.

"I'm sorry to have worried you Ilan…"

"No, it's okay. As long as Yu-yu is happy, Ilan is happy!" He snuggled up to my white fur and curled into a ball, falling asleep again. I wondered if this is how my mother saw me, when I used to sleep at her belly. I smiled sadly; Ilan will never know that kind of loving feeling…

Sol's words came back to me, like it was echoing in his cave; 'I'll give you time to find the reason why your Umbreon friend left you…'

"Um… Ampharos, what are you doing?" Riolu rolled his eyes and stretched.

"What? I wanted to add effect." Sol giggled happily. Riolu just sighed.

"How did you sleep tonight?" he asked me.

"I slept okay. I had a nightmare. That why I'm awake this early," I replied after glancing out the entrance, seeing the sky pink with dawn.

"Want to talk about the nightmare? I've heard that it would give you good dreams if you talk about it," Riolu said, smiling softly.

"Uh, it was about Tai…" I started, furrowing my eyebrows. "And he was sad… I think it's because I've been ignoring him a lot recently." I paused.

"And I think that hurt his feelings. For not thinking of him, and for only myself." My ears droop again. "I'm sorry Tai."

"Tai? Who's Tai?" Riolu asked grabbing a berry from the berry bowl.

"My older brother. He's a Jolteon, and in my dreams, he usually has a soft side. But in reality..." I shuddered, thinking of all that he'd done. "He was the one that tried to kill me... but that's how I met Shade and Miss, so I'm not exactly sure if it's a good thing or bad." I shrugged. "Back on topic. Tai, sometimes accompanied by Mother or Father, would tell me warnings of the future in my dreams. Those that I don't heed, too." I whispered the last comment.

"And were they accurate?" Riolu asked after a moment.

"Yes. He warned me about Shade leaving, but I breezed it over…that cost me my best friend." I bowed my head at my paws, a frown plastered on my face.

"At least you got it lucky. You get to help your best friend…and I just watch as mine got taken away because of this stupid collar!" Riolu growled as he yanked at the collar around his neck.

"I forgot that you still had that on!" I giggled lightly. "I can be very forgetful when a lot of things are on my mind." Riolu smiled softly.

"Glad I could make you laugh. But this is no laughing matter to me..." He glanced sadly at his collar.

"Will you tell me about your best friend? I mean, if it's a topic you don't want to talk about then, it's okay to drop the subject!" I waved a paw carefully in the air, trying not to disturb Ilan and not wanting to pry. Noticing the little Pachirisu sleeping at my side, Sol came out of no where and grabbed Ilan, and walked over to his...nest, if you will. Riolu and I watched as he did so, and he didn't continue until Sol away from us again.

"My best friend? It hurts to talk about it...but... if you REALLY want to know, I'll tell you," Riolu said anxiously. I shrugged the thought off, but nodded.

"If you want to talk about it, you can. If you don't, then don't. I'm not forcing you to talk."

"No, no. You should know..." He trailed off. "My best friend was my mate... She was the closest thing to me in this world. I thought life was just an annoyance. Bad luck has fallen upon me and my family, and I just wanted to die in a hole. But this beautiful creature, she came up to me and said in a loving voice, 'You need to live life to the fullest. Even if it's a lonely trail, there will be someone special waiting at the end.' ..." Tears formed in his eyes, but he wiped them away quickly. "Those words are the words I fell in love with. Then along came the kit," he chuckles. "She started to panic at the thought of being a parent. 'What if my kit will be a bad Poke?' 'What if my kit doesn't make it past its childhood?'. All of these questions ran through her mind, but I comforted her, telling her all the positive answers and not to dwell in the negative." Riolu sighs, catching his breath, "Am I talking too much?"

"No, no. It's a story. You're supposed to be the main one talking. It's your story, not mine. I'm the one that's supposed to listen." I smile. "Continue, please."

"Well, when the kit was born, my mate was so relieved. She could tell that this kit would have a bright future ahead of her." Riolu looks angrily at the cave floor. "But those Rocket Grunts came and destroyed our home, and took us with them. I tried to protect my family as best as I could, but we ended up getting separated. My heart torn into two, one part going with her, and one staying with me..." He tries with his might to unclench his paws, but is unable to. "I found my mate and kit... but they were nearly killed from this collar's shock..."

"I'm so sorry..." I gasp, tears falling down my cheeks.

"Yuki! I'm sorry to make you cry." He ran over to me and rubbed my back, not noticing that he was crying too.

"But they didn't die... they just... changed." He squeezed his eyes shut and whispered; "I'm so weak, crying like this." He chuckled weakly.

"You're not weak! You're just showing your feelings. That doesn't make you weak," I said sternly. "Nothing makes a Poke weak, other than giving up. If you give up faith on your mate and kit, that makes you weak, not wanting to care for them again." The Riolu blinked at my words, and smiled.

"Thank you Yuki. If I ever get to find my mate and kit again, I'll try to knock some sense into them."

"Deary?" Miss said as she materialized in front of me and Riolu. "Are you okay? You're crying!"

"I'm fine. I've just heard a sad story. What is it Miss? Is there something wrong?" I replied, wiping the remaining tears away.

"No, nothing's wrong, deary. It's time to give Sol your answer." She floated to the entrance, gesturing for me to go. "Come on, he grows impatient in the morning."

"Okay. Let's go Riolu... I do hope you get your family back." I nuzzled his chest and ran toward the entrance, taking a deep breath. I walked out and Sol nodded at me.

"You ready to answer? Why did Shade leave you?" Sol crossed his arms and waited. I thought hard, remembering the moment he threw the Pecha Berry at me to when he released the _Shadow Ball_.

"Shade left because... he planned to!" I said, coming to a sudden realization. Everyone blinked at me, surprised.

"What?" they said in unison.

"Shade planned to leave because he said he was discussing some 'important matters' with Rush. And it sounded like Shade had known Rush for a while now, because he said his name so casually." My ears drooped. "Is that right?"

"How would I know? I'm not a psychic type," the Ampharos huffed. I stared at him blankly. "But I can tell you this: Your Umbreon friend has been recently seen with a Gardevoir, Seviper and Meganium down near Mt. Lave. I'm not sure why that mountain, but it's worth a shot to get to him." He snapped his paws, his face lighting up. "Oh! Wear this, and give this to him. Don't ask what it is for, you have to figure that out yourself." He ran back into the cave, soon returning with strapped beads, connected together by a string. I blinked at them, confused.

"What are those?" I asked.

"It's a necklace sweety. Humans wear these all the time, to look pretty and beautiful. These are precious to me, but I must give them to you." He winked, though I didn't quite understand why. "Good luck."

"Mt. Lave is north by northwest from this position," Riolu muttered. "It'll take us a while unless we have a flying type or a fast moving Pokemon with us. Thank you for the information, Sol." The Ampharos smiled in reply.

"Just be careful; Heatran runs that mountain, and I've heard he's VERY territorial. Good luck. May Arceus light your path," he said happily. Ilan came running towards me, looking up at me with large eyes.

"I'm going to miss you Yu-yu! Promise to come visit?" he said, his tail twitching with anticipation. I giggle.

"Anything for you Ilan," I reply, licking his cheek, and he snuggled into my chest before running back to Sol.

"Have a safe journey Yu-yu!" Ilan called from Sol's shoulder as we walked away from the Ampharos' abode, tears falling from his eyes. "Remember to visit when you have time! Good-bye!"


	9. Waterfall Village

**Sorry for the really late update, I had not much motivation and was really busy with school and stuff ;; Thanks for your patients! ^ ^;;**

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I sniffed the air; something pleasant came to my nose. I twitched my ear, trying to pick up sound, and followed the scent.

"What is it Yuki?" Riolu walked over to me, placing a paw on my back. I blinked at him and nodded to my right.

"I smell water."

"Water?" Miss and Riolu asked in unison. They turned to each other and blinked.

"Yes, water. Come on, I want to go check it out." I dashed over to a nearby berry bush and gulped down an Oran berry, ignoring its dry taste and continued toward the smell of water. I rustled around the bush, sniffing the ground for water signs, and when I looked up I gasped.

A huge waterfall clambered down a rocky slope and gracefully landed into a large pond, with Dratini, Dragonair, Altaria, and Swablu hovering around the lake. I blinked and carefully walked over to a Swablu ruffling her wings. She turned to me and blinked.

"Yes Eevee?" she said.

"Hello, my name is Yuki. I was wondering, why is there a waterfall in the middle of the forest?" I tilted my head slightly.

"The land used to be as tall as the waterfall, but it caved in and the river turned into a waterfall. After time, Skye had some friends came and clear the rubble and created this lake," she explained.

"Skye? Who's that, if I may ask?" I sat down, and swished my tail at the Riolu and Misdreavus. We designed signals to each other: Swish the tail to wait, or for Miss, to hover up and down constantly. Twitch the tail tip to come forward, for Miss bob up and down. And flick the ear to get away; for Miss, to swirl in a circle around the Poke who she's talking to.

"Skye is a shiny Dragonair. She's very kind and loves meeting new Poke. Why don't you bring your friends over and come meet her?" I flinched. _This Swablu is good, _I thought.

"S-sure..." I twitched my tail tip, and they came forward. "This is Riolu and this is Miss." I nodded my head to the Swablu.

"It's a pleasure to meet you... If I may ask?" Miss questioned, hovering close to me.

"Oh! How rude of me. My name is Mizu; my mother is a huge fan of Japanese names. I don't mind them at all, it's cute and catchy," Mizu giggled.

"Doesn't 'Mizu' mean water in Japanese?" Riolu leaned against a tree, sighing.

"Why yes. You seem to know a lot of Japanese," Mizu giggled again.

"Not much, just a little." His lips twitched with a smile, but he kept it under control.

I sighed, "Lighten up a bit Riolu! I don't think she means harm," I said. "Mizu, weren't you going to take us to meet Skye?"

"Oh yes! We seem to have gotten distracted. Follow me!" She flew into the air with a brisk movement of her wings and flew off. We dashed after her to keep up and not lose sight of her, but that was harder said than done. When she landed by the lake at the base of the waterfall, Riolu and I were huffing from the run. Miss seemed unfazed.

"Is Skye in the lake?" she asked.

"Yes, she is. Let me get her, wait one moment please." Mizu disappeared into the mist of the waterfall for a couple of seconds, maybe minutes. I was so tired I couldn't focus on anything except the frantic pounding of my heart, and I glanced at Riolu to see if he heard it. He didn't seem to, much to my pleasure. I felt as if it would pound out of my chest…

Mizu, with her fluffy wings, floated softly back to our group.

"Come to the edge of Sparkling Lake. Skye has fallen ill recently, and I don't want to strain her or anything…" Worry was plastered on her face.

"No, no it's fine. We don't mind, do we?" I shook a paw in the air towards the worried Swablu, and looked at Riolu and Miss.

"Nope, we don't mind at all," Riolu grumbled, and Miss agreed happily. We made our way toward 'Sparkling Lake' and saw a long, elegant dragon, bathing herself in the mist of the waterfall. "Hello." She said softly; her voice sounded like wind blowing over a prairie. "How may I help you?"

"Oh, we just happened to stop by. I smelled water, and we have been traveling for... 3 days? I lost count. We were trying to follow a friend, but we lost him..." I paused, hoping I didn't say too much.

"Is this friend with a Meganium, Seviper and Gardevoir?" Skye swam closer to me, unafraid.

"Y-yes...why do you ask?" I said nervously, shaking slightly.

"How can you be friends with an Umbreon who betrayed you?" she asked.

"Even if he did betray me, he's still my best friend! Something must have happened to him that caused him to leave--"

"Stop lying to yourself." She said simply. Fear and sadness struck my heart like an arrow was shot there.

"I-I'm sorry..." Tears fell from my eyes, and I quickly wiped them away before anyone noticed.

At least, _almost_ everyone.

"I'm sorry to have made you cry, but lying to yourself will not help," the Shiny Dragonair sighed. "Please, to make it up, how about you stay in Waterfall Village for a little bit?"

"One night, that's all." Riolu said stiffly and walked away.

"Riolu! Wait!" My ears drooped. _Did I offend him?_

"Riolu! Don't worry, I'll go after him Yuki. You stay here with Mizu and Skye." Miss hovered worriedly and then chased after Riolu, "Riolu! What's wrong with you?"

"He has mixed feelings right now, please don't be too bothered by his outburst." Skye turns towards me and nuzzles me.

I blink in shock by the sudden affection, "O-okay... wait. How do you know if Riolu has mixed feelings? Can you read feelings or something?" It was meant to be a joke, but the Dragonair nodded seriously.

"It came with becoming a shiny; my orb can sense feelings, and I interpret them. Riolu had so many feelings emit from him, with him being a Riolu and all. He was angry, sad, afraid, and so many other feelings it was hard to decide which one he truly means." Skye blinked. "Are you tired?"

The sun had started to set, and I noticed I was yawning a lot.

"Um... I guess, since I'm yawning..."

"Mizu, please show Yuki to the guest den. Keep an eye out for the Misdreavus and Riolu while you are at it." Skye turned toward me. "Have a nice rest." She smiled softly and I smiled back.

"Oh, Skye?" I asked.

"Yes?" The Dragonair seemed confused; by my emotions, most likely.

"Are you bearing an egg?" It was very rude to assume that a Poke was bearing an egg, but I had a feeling the reason she was sick was because of an egg.

"Why, yes. How did you know?" She seemed genuinely surprised as Mizu was.

"You're bearing an egg Skye?! Is Charge the father?" Mizu's wings were flapping frantically.

"Yes, he is," Skye giggled, blushing lightly.

"My mother told me when she was bearing me, she was sick for a while. My father gave her Razz Berries to lower her fever, and it's one of the only berries that stayed inside her." I tried to recall anything that might help Skye feel better. "That's all I can remember from what my mother told me... I hope you do feel better Skye." I nodded my head to the pink Dragonair and walked out of the mist and waited for Mizu. The still surprised Swablu fluttered unsteadily towards me.

"This way..." She motioned to follow, and I nodded my head. She lead me to a small den they went into the ground. "The floor of the den is above an underground river, so if you place your ear on the floor, you can hear the water moving. It might be a bit humid in there, but it's not _too _humid, so you'll live." She sighed. "I'll go wait for your friends." She hopped over to where Riolu and Miss disappeared to, and sat down.

"Thanks Mizu." She lifted her wing to tell me that she heard. I trotted into the den and sniffed in the moist air. It felt nice to have the warm air go through my nostrils, and it calmed me down. I sat down and placed an ear to the floor, listening to the water rush underfoot. My eyes started to droop, and my head was nodding. I curled up on the floor, enjoying the swishing feeling under me. I dozed in and out of consciousness; at one point, Riolu and Miss came in and Riolu curled up beside me. I was shivering, and my body became still as he laid beside me.

It was most likely the middle of the night when I heard screams. My eyes flew open and Riolu jumped to his feet.

"Yuki, stay here," he ordered.

"No," I growled. I bolted past him and into the clearing, where I ran into Shade.

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**Le Gasp! :O**


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